Since its debut in 2016, Stranger Things has become more than a beloved series– it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Nearly three years after the Season 3 finale, it was time to reenergize the passion of the fans. After a very long hiatus, the challenge was to reawaken that fandom, and reignite intense anticipation for the impending premiere of Stranger Things 4.

The commitment to both Season 4 premiering in Spring 2023, and a final Season 5 to come in 2024, meant the promotional challenge was two-fold: create a promotional activation that could meaningfully support publicity leading up to the spring premiere and provide a promotional bridge to sustain fan interest over the long run up to the final season. The fans have grown up alongside the young cast of Stranger Things, and this sense of shared nostalgia was something cultivated when imagining the design of this immersive experience.

The concept began with creating an original immersive adventure that would take guests through their own mission to save Hawkins. The show creators and scriptwriters worked closely with Netflix teams to develop a truly unique ‘Upside Down’ experience that connected fans with the Stranger Things universe to bring them closer to the characters in the world of their favorite series. Part theme park dark ride, part immersive theater, and truly interactive, this groundbreaking experience takes fans inside some of its most memorable settings on an intimate guided new adventure.

To spark a massive outpouring of fan enthusiasm, we conceived this groundbreaking activation that would invite fans into an immersive, hands-on experience of the Upside Down and the Hankins Lab.

This original scripted experience leverages state of the art AR projections, interactive storytelling, and shareworthy settings that would encourage fans to share their own enthusiasm for Stranger Things.

This original scripted experience honors the Stranger Things brand pillars of supernatural mystery, the power of friendships, and 80’s nostalgia in a vibrant fusion of the Stranger Things universe. Celebrating all 4 seasons of Stranger Things, this experience is a two-part adventure – first, journeying through a pulsed walk-thru narrative, then exiting into a free-flow ‘Mix-Tape’ experience.

The Experience reimagines the way the world Stranger Things could be brought to life by exploring the darker side of Hawkins, including the infamous Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down. A brand new storyline was created that immerses guests into a parallel universe where they must run the gauntlet of terrors lurking in the dark, and unlock their own secret powers to help save the town.

Combining media elements, live performances, hands on explorations, and original 360 FX, each guest is fully immersed in the storyline once they step into Hawkins. The Augmented Reality effects required two separate green-screen sound stages, live action, dimensional build outs, advanced stereoscopic cameras, and hundreds of hours of complex post-production. The moment when Demogorgons leap out over the heads of guests always elicits shrieks.

After their perilous escape from the Upside Down, fans will arrive at Mix-Tape experience: an immersive Food & Beverage and retail hub celebrating the most visually iconic locations of Stranger Things. Here, fans are free to explore (and take plenty of pictures of) every element of the Stranger Things world, such as grabbing a USS Butterscotch sundae at Scoops Ahoy, knocking off MADMAX’s high score at the Palace Arcade, and even avoiding encounters with the Demogorgons in the Upside Down.

Stranger Things: The Experience has hosted more than 650,00 guests and sold out shows in domestic markets. With a consumer rating of 4.62/5, near-perfect audience rankings, and more than 1.59 Billion social media impressions, this has proven to be one of Netflix's most successful live experiences.

To date, Stranger Things: The Experience has been featured more than 665 times in media outlets including The New York Times, New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, People Magazine, and PopSugar.